Webinar Series on Oil Release Planning, Prevention, Mitigation

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Foundation and Pinnacle Engineering are teaming up once again to sponsor a five-part webinar series for renewable fuel stakeholders about oil release planning, prevention and impact mitigation. The Renewable Fuels Foundation is the education and research arm of the Renewable Fuels Association.

Renewable fuel facilities with oil storage (including denatured ethanol) greater than 1 million gallons are generally subject to the Environmental Protection Agency’s requirement to prepare, submit, and implement a Facility Response Plan (FRP). This webinar series will provide an educational opportunity to industry stakeholders on applicability, plan development, training, response and other compliance matters related to preparing and implementing an FRP.

The webinar schedule will be once a month starting next Wednesday, Aug. 16 with an overview of FRPs.
• Aug. 16: FRP Overview
• Sept. 6: Developing an FRP
• Oct. 11: FRP Implementation and Training
• Nov. 1: Incident Management and Impact Mitigation
• Dec. 6: Lessons Learned and Ongoing Compliance

The webinars, which will all be held from 11 a.m. – noon CT, are FREE for RFA members and $100 per session for non-members is $100 per session. To reserve your spot, please contact Missy Ruff at mruff@ethanolrfa.org or 202-446-1944.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

USDA Getting #BackToOurRoots

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has been on a five-state “Back to Our Roots” Tour to gather input on the 2018 Farm Bill, meeting with farmers, ranchers, foresters, producers, students, governors, USDA employees, and other stakeholders. This is the first of two RV tours the secretary will undertake this summer.

This first RV Tour features stops in five states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. “The ‘Back to our Roots’ Farm Bill and rural prosperity RV listening tour will allow us to hear directly from people in agriculture across the country, as well as our consumers – they are the ones on the front lines of American agriculture and they know best what the current issues are,” Perdue said.

Secretary Sonny held a press conference this morning to talk about his trip, with reporters’ questions including issues with Sam Clovis’ nomination, dicamba concerns, and drought in the Dakotas.
Sec. Perdue presser on Back to our Roots tour

AgWired AgNewsWire, AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, USDA

Free Fuel Happy Hours at The Buffalo Chip

chuck zimmerman

The Buffalo Chip Campground now has its own gas dispenser. It’s a high octane blend of E10 which as all bikers need to know is warrantied safe by all manufacturers. In fact, this 93 octane, is highly sought after by the attendees of this year’s Sturgis Rally who are out at The Chip and is usually hard to find. But thanks to the Renewable Fuels Association, working with The Buffalo Chip, there is now a supply at a self service pump on the property.

During this week I will be working with RFA as they hold daily Free Fuel Happy Hours when bikers can just pull up and get a free tank for their next ride. During the week I’ll be visiting with many of our customers to learn what they know about ethanol. While they are filling up they will learn more about ethanol, get the facts and hopefully be able to help spread that word to others.

RFA is a major sponsor here during the Sturgis Rally. One of the locations you’ll see educational information is on the jumbotrons on either side of the Wolfman Jack stage where major bands like Shinedown and Ozzy are playing this week. Last night Shinedown performed to a large crowd which I imagine will be even bigger when Ozzy takes the stage later this week.

I’ll be collecting photos and interviews to share during the week so keep an eye on AgWired for the latest.

AgWired Energy, biofuels, Ethanol, RFA

Canada Top U.S. Ethanol Importer in June

Cindy Zimmerman

As Brazil continues to mull a proposed 20 percent tariff on U.S. ethanol imports, exports to that country hit their lowest point this year in June allowing Canada to take the top importer spot for that month.

However, according to the Renewable Fuels Association analysis of EIA data, shipments to Brazil for the first half of this year are roughly the same as they were for the entire year last year.

U.S. ethanol exports totaled 92.7 million gallons (mg) in June, down 22% from May shipments, according to government data released this morning and analyzed by the Renewable fuels Association (RFA). Canada and Brazil were again the top destinations for U.S. exports, combining to receive nearly half of total exports in June, although volumes to both destinations fell sharply from May. Canada took in 24.8 mg in June (down 21% from May), while Brazil imported 20.9 mg (down 68%). Meanwhile, India jumped back into the market for the first time since March, importing 13.6 mg. U.S. ethanol exports to all destinations for the first half of the year stood at 686.8 mg, indicating a record annualized export total of 1.37 billion gallons.

Ethanol imports for the first half of 2017 were 63% higher than last year at 20.2 mg, with half of that coming in from Brazil in June (10.6 mg) an 11% increase from May.

Export of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) increased 20% to 889,114 metric tons (mt) in June with Mexico being the number one destination. Export sales for the first half of 2017 are 5.54 million mt, up four percent from this time last year.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, RFA

Minnesota Moves Forward with B20

Cindy Zimmerman

In 2005, Minnesota became the first state in the nation to require all diesel fuel to have a blend of at least 2 percent biodiesel, known as B2. Minnesota will once again become a leader when it becomes the first state to implement B20 next year.

“This state has been a leader in renewable fuels for the past 30 years,” said Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Commissioner Dave Frederickson during an appearance at Minnesota Farmfest Thursday with the Minnesota Soybean Growers new DieselSellerz biodiesel truck. The state will move from a 10 percent biodiesel blend (B10) to a 20 percent blend (B20) requirement for summertime months beginning May 1, 2018.

Audio file: MN Ag Commissioner Dave Fredrickson announces B20 at Farmfest

The state currently has three biodiesel plants located in Albert Lea, Brewster and Isanti, which produce more than 74 million gallons of biodiesel annually. The Albert Lea facility is owned and operated by Renewable Energy Group, Inc. aid “REG and our biodiesel industry partners will be ready to deliver the approximately 30 million additional gallons of cleaner-burning biodiesel to Minnesota consumers during the summer months which will improve both the state’s economy and environment,” said Gary Haer, REG Vice President, Sales & Marketing.

Audio, Biodiesel, Soybeans

Gov. Ricketts to Keynote ACE Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts will welcome the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) back to Omaha as keynote speaker for the 30th annual ACE conference, coming up Aug. 15-17.

“The governor has served as a great advocate for Nebraska’s ethanol industry, and we look forward to hearing his perspective from recent meetings he’s had with President Trump and EPA Administrator Pruitt on the energy and policy issues impacting this industry,” said Brian Jennings, executive vice president of ACE.

Gov. Ricketts testified on behalf of the ethanol industry at a hearing this week in Washington D.C. on proposed 2018 volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard, urging EPA to reconsider the advanced biofuels and cellulosic ethanol levels.

ACE legislative counsel Jonathon Lehman and more than a dozen ACE member representatives testified at the hearing, stressing a number of key issues, including conventional biofuel levels; EPA’s general waiver authority as it relates to inadequate domestic supply; the use of the reset provisions; and updating the greenhouse gas modeling for corn ethanol as it relates to Brazilian sugarcane ethanol.

Read that testimony here.

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Ethanol, RFS

Ethanol Report on EPA Hearing and Court Decision

Cindy Zimmerman

Last week’s court decision on what EPA can consider when setting volume obligations for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard was still fresh in mind as the industry provided feedback on the agency’s most recent proposals for next year during a public hearing in Washington D.C. this week.

In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen talks about his testimony to EPA on the proposed RVOs under the RFS, and how the court ruling was a win for the industry. Ethanol Report on EPA Hearing and Court Decision

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Audio, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA, RFS

MN Soybean Unveils Minnesota Tough Biodiesel Truck

Cindy Zimmerman

The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council unveiled a DieselSellerz original biodiesel truck this week at the Minnesota Farmfest.

The DieselSellerz is the “world’s largest diesel truck classifieds community,” with a crew that has become known for building and giving away tricked-out diesel trucks, as well as other antics, on the Discovery Channel show “Diesel Brothers.” The crew will be making a special appearance at the Farmfest today.

MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka did a walk through of their exhibit on Facebook that really highlights Minnesota Tough biodiesel, and you can expect them to go live on their Facebook page again when the DieselSellerz visit.

Biodiesel, Soybean, Soybeans

Strong Biodiesel Turnout at EPA Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

The biodiesel industry turned out in force Tuesday to advocate for higher volumes of advanced biofuels and biomass-based diesel.

National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen says the EPA proposal would maintain the minimum required biomass-based diesel volumes at 2.1 billion gallons for 2019 but decrease the 2018 RFS for advanced biofuels to 4.24 billion gallons. “That’s our sweet spot,” said Rehagen. “Unfortunately, we’re not seeing the growth in those numbers that we would like to see.”

Over 30 biodiesel industry representatives attended a public hearing by the EPA held in Washington D.C. Tuesday and at least 20 of them testified, including NBB staff, biodiesel producers, and farmer organizations.

In this interview, Rehagen also talks about how the biodiesel industry fared in last week’s court decision: Interview with NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen at EPA hearing

advanced biofuels, Audio, Biodiesel, EPA, NBB

Governors Testify at EPA RFS Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

Over 140 witnesses provided feedback to the Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday on the agency’s recent proposed volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, who both urged EPA to reconsider the advanced biofuels and cellulosic ethanol levels.

“When you’re talking about the advanced biofuels, I think it’s a mistake to go backwards with regards to those targets,” said Gov. Ricketts during a press conference in advance of his testimony. NE Gov. Ricketts, EPA hearing press conference

Gov. Reynolds pointed to the plants in Iowa that are producing cellulosic ethanol from corn stover and corn kernels. “The near term future for cellulosic is much brighter than the proposed obligations,” she said. IA Gov. Reynolds, EPA hearing press conference

EPA proposed setting the 2018 level for advanced biofuels based on a minimum applicable volume of 4.24 billion gallons, a decrease from 4.28 billion gallons for 2017, and cuts the cellulosic biofuel requirement to 238 million gallons.

National Corn Growers Association Board member Keith Alverson also testified at the hearing Tuesday on the need for increasing cellulosic and advanced biofuel levels. “As EPA noted in the proposed rule, many ethanol producers are investing in new technologies to produce cellulosic ethanol at existing facilities. NCGA urges EPA to work with producers to fully quantify this production and consider all 2017 cellulosic data,” Alverson testified. Corn grower Keith Alverson, EPA hearing press conference

Others who testified and took part in the press conference were Jan Koninckx, DuPont Industrial Biosciences; Brent Erickson, BIO Industrial & Environmental Section; Brooke Coleman, Advanced Biofuels Business Council; and Chris Bliley, Growth Energy. Listen to the full press conference here: Fuels America Press Conference

advanced biofuels, Audio